Brooklyn Residents File Lawsuit to Recover Unpaid Wages

Chester SoriaKathleen Noreiga was one of the plaintiffs who spoke at a press conference held in front of City Councilwoman Letitia James’ office.

A group of Brooklyn residents filed a federal lawsuit yesterday against the Atlantic Yards Development Company LLC, Forest City Ratner Companies LLC, Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development and others in an attempt to recover unpaid wages and damages from false promises of employment.

The plaintiffs argued that their participation in a pre-apprentice training program organized by the Atlantic Yards project developers and BUILD left them without pay and work promised to them. The internship was created as a part of a community benefits agreement that promised local jobs in order to win support from residents and politicians for the Atlantic Yards project.

Their lawsuit alleges that the plaintiffs – all former BUILD members – worked for two months on a private residence renovation project in Staten Island and received little to no training and no compensation.
“What they did was totally wrong and misleading,” said Kathleen Noreiga, 58, of Crown Heights, one of five plaintiffs at a press conference held in Fort Greene Tuesday afternoon. “I hope the lawsuit will prevent this developer and other from practicing these blatant and bold type of schemes.”

“Not only did they not get the jobs they were promised, they had to engage in hard labor with no pay,” said Nicole Salk, senior staff attorney for South Brooklyn Legal Services, at the press conference.

Ms. Salk added that the plaintiffs entered the internship program because they were guaranteed union jobs and that they continued working because they were told they would not receive membership if they stopped.

Marie Louis, BUILD chief operating officer, attended the press conference with other members of the organization to find out who the plaintiffs were. She argued after the press conference that all the plaintiffs signed an agreement that said they would not receive pay or be guaranteed union membership.

“They knew it was an unpaid internship,” Ms. Louis said, adding that the plaintiffs misunderstood the agreement. “We can’t help it if people have an idea in their mind that they laser in on.”

The plaintiffs’ attorneys, however, said after the press conference, that a signed agreement does not mean that their clients were not entitled to pay.

“You can’t waive your right to be paid for your labor,” said Molly Thomas-Jensen, a SBLS staff attorney.

Maurice Griffin, 23, of Prospect Heights, was one of the plaintiffs at the conference. Mr. Griffin said that he personally asked James Caldwell, BUILD president and CEO, about union books — membership cards that denote union membership — and that Mr. Caldwell told him he had nothing to worry about. He also said Mr. Caldwell told the class that he himself had seen the union books.

“You can ask all the 36 students,” said Mr. Griffin, “and all 36 will tell you that the said the union books were guaranteed.”

Mr. Caldwell responded and said he that he had made no such promise.

“I never told nobody that,” he said. “I’ve never seen any books.”

The defendants now have 21 days to answer to the lawsuit or to request a dismissal.

Bruce Ratner is NOT the only one responsible for fraud & corruption as concerns his failure to live up to his statements that these folks be paid & certain development take place.

Area religious leaders, self-appointed Community Activists & Civil Rights leaders are also to blame for Ratner’s antics since they sold their “endorsements” for using eminent domain laws to take other people’s property to Ratner.

Ratner, in turn used these endorsements to push the Atlantic Yards (AY) plan thru. I want some lawyer to get these religious leaders, community activists and Civil Rights leaders under oath and squeeze them for information about this whole AY mess.

Also I want passage of a law that requires all religious leaders, community activists and Civil Rights leaders to open their books and reveal their tax returns.

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